Review : The Hunger Pains : A Parody by The Harvard Lampoon

WINNING MEANS WEALTH, FAME, AND A LIFE OF THERAPY LOSING MEANS DEATH, BUT ALSO FAME! THIS IS THE HUNGER PAINS

When Kantkiss Neverclean replaces her sister as a contestant on theHunger Games—the second-highest-rated reality TV show in Peaceland, behind Extreme Home Makeover—she has no idea what to expect. Having lived her entire life in the telemarketing district’s worst neighborhood, the Crack, Kantkiss feels unprepared to fight to the death while simultaneously winking and looking adorable for the cameras. But when her survival rests on choosing between the dreamy hunk from home, Carol Handsomestein, or the doughy klutz, Pita Malarkey, Kantkiss discovers that the toughest conflicts may not be found on the battlefield but in her own heart . . . which is unfortunately on a battlefield.

I'm a huge fan of The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins. I'm anxiously counting down they days until the movie, I've turned my boyfriend, Mike, into a fan, lent the whole trilogy to my boss to read, and am planning on buying the whole nail polish collection when it comes out on March 1st. 

Despite all that, I picked this up on a trip to Barnes and Noble yesterday. I figured a parody, even though it's mocking The Hunger Games, would be a lot of fun to read. I was right.

It's the same basic plotline as The Hunger Games - Kantkiss Neverclean (Katniss Everdeen) volunteers herself in her sister's place for the 74th Hunger Games, a violent fight to the death between 24 teenagers to show the 12 Districts that the Capital (Capitol) still rules all after the rebellion many years before. It's got all the characters, but with different names Prin for Prim, Carol Handsomestein for Gale, and Pita Malarky for Peeta. 

I thought it was hysterical. Sure, the humor consists mostly of lame puns and cheesy jokes, but so what? It seems to be The Harvard Lampoon's system, and it works for them! I didn't choose this book looking for a great novel, I needed something to make me laugh easily, and that's exactly what The Hunger Pains did for me. 

Here's a trailer for the book.